Storage tank with heater



May 16, 1933. c. TIBURTIUS STORAGE TANK WITH HEATER Filed Sept. 23, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l invenlor:

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May 16, 1933. c. TIBURTIUS STORAGE TANK WITH HEATER Fild Sept. 23, 1931 2 SheetsSheet 2 nae/lion (24/ M film 14 170!" Patented May 16, 1933 VIFUNI'ETED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

CARL rmonrrus, or KIEL, GERMANY STORAGETANK WITH HEATER My invention relates to improvements in tanks for storing viscous liquids such as heavy oil and the like, and more particularly in tanks which are provided with means for 5 liquefying or rendering less viscous the oil or other liquid to be taken from the tank, the object of such means being to facilitate the flow'and movement of the liquid. One of the objects of the improvements is to provide an apparatus of this class by means of which only the part of the liquid which is being removed from the tank is liquefied, and which permits the liquid to be continuously taken from the tank. IVith this object in 5355 view my invention Consists in connecting the pipe for removing the liquid from the tank to the top part of a hood which is closed at its top and open at its bottom, and associating'with the said hood means for heating the liquid flowing through the same. In the preferred construction the heatingmeans are disposed within the hood, and the hood is gradually reduced from its bottom to its'top so that the intensity of heating is increased as the liquid rises within the hood.

7, Another object of the improvements is to provide an apparatus which may be used at will either for heating only the liquid being removed from the tank, or for heating the whole body of liquid and causing circulation of the liquid within the tank for the purpose of rendering'the whole volume of liquid homogeneous. With this object in view my invention consists in providing one or more holes at the top part of the hood, whiclrholes are provided with valves or gates for normally closing the same.

- Other objects of the improvements will appear from the following description.

' For the purpose of explaining the invention several examples embodying the same have been shown in the accompanying drawings in which the, same reference characters have been used in all the views to indicate corresponding parts. In said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatical sectional elevation showing the tank,

Fig. 2. is a sectional elevation on an enlarged: scale showing the hood through which the liquid is removed from the tank,

Application filed September 23, 1931, Serial No. 564,609, and in- Germany October 24, 1930,

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, I

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation similar to the one illustrated in, Fig. 2 and showing a modification of the hood,

Fig. 5 is a similar sectional elevation showing another modification, and- Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation similar to the one illustrated in Fig. 1 and showing, another modification. I (Q In the following reference will be made to the-storing of oil of comparatively high viscosity. But I wish it to be understood that my invention may also be embodied in tanks or receptacles for storing other viscous liq- 065 uids adapted to be liquefied or rendered less viscous by heating or other methods. a I I Referring now to: the example illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the apparatus: comprisesua tank 3 containing the viscous oil 2, and a hood' 4 located near the bottom of the tank and supported on the said bottom by means of feet 4', the said hood being open at its bottom and normally closed at its top, so that it communicates with the tank 3 through its bottom. Through the wall of the tank 3 a pipe 8 is passed into the hood which isdirected upwardly at its inner end 10 to a point near the top of the hood, and which is provided with a valve 9. Thesaid pipe may be connected to a suction pump for drawing the oil from the tank and delivering the same to other apparatus or receptacles. Thus 7 the liquid may be drawn through the pipe. 35 i 8 from the top part of the hood 4, and the oil taken'from the hood is immediately replaced by oil flowingfrom the tank 3fthro-ugh the open bottom part of the hood. In orderto facilitate the flow of the oil heating meansgp are associated with the hood l, and as shown in the figures, the said heating means are in the form o-fa heating coil 5 connected with a supply of a suitable heating medium such as steam, through a pipe 6, the steam. or the water of condensation being delivered through a pipe 7 connected with the bottom part of the coil 5. I wish it to be understood that I do not limit-myself to the use of steam or other fluid for heating; the iLLnorlto disposing the said heating means within the hood 4.

As shown in Fig. 2 the hood is reduced in cross-section from its bottom towards its top and in many cases this construction will be of steel supporting the wall made from wood.

At its top the hood 4 is provided with an opening 11 which is normally closed by a valve 12 adapted to be operated from the top of the tank by means of a stem 12i carrying'a handwheel 12 I The bottom part of the hood 4 is surrounded by a wall or overflow 13 preventing the admission of impurities depositedon the bottom of the tank to the hood and the suction pipe 8. 1

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modification in which a cylindrical hood 41 is provided, and

in {which the suction pipe 8 is passed into the hood at the top part thereof, the'intakeend '101 being directed downwardly. Otherwise the construction of the hood and associated parts is the same as has been described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3, and the same let- "ters of reference have been used'to indicate corresponding parts. In Fig. 5, I have shown another modification in which the hood is similar to the one illustrated in Fig. 2, in which however the said hood is disposed within a pit 14 con nected with the bottom part of the tank 3. By disposing the hood 4 in the manner shown inFigs. 1 to 4 it is not possible to remove the whole volume of oil from the tank, because the bottom of the hood is located above the bottom 1' of the tank. By means of the construction shown in Fig. 5 almost the whole volume of liquid'may be removed from the tank (after first removing the overflow 13), and only so much liquid is left within the tank as covers the bottom of the 171. The pipes 6 and 7 for circulating the heating. fluid through the coil within the hood 4 are provided with extensions 61, 71 supported on the suction pipe 15 and connected with the heating coil byflexible tubes 18and 19. By means of the rope 17 the hood 4 may be placed near the surface of the oil 2, and it may be lowered or raised according to the level of the oil. Thus the oil may be taken from the upper layers of the oil where the oil of lower viscosity is collected.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

If the vicosity of the oil within the tank 3 is such that the oil cannot readily be taken from the tank by means of the suction pump, the volume of oil within the hood 4 is first heated by circulating steam through the heating coil 5. Thereby the liquefied oil rises withinthe hood 4 and to the intake end of thepipe 8, 10, whereupon the Valve 9 is opened and the suction pipe is started. As the o il;is withdrawn from the hood 4, the viscous oil from the tank is drawn into the hood 4 through the open bottom thereof, and it is liquefied within the said hood, so thatoil may be continuously removed from the tank. It will be understood that at the top part of the hood 4 the viscosity of the oil is particularly low by reason of theincreased heating effect of the coil 51 at the top part of the hood. Therefore the oil may be drawn from thehood without any difficulty.

The-operation may be continued until the -tank has been entirely emptied, or the supply of steam, to the coil 5 has been interrupted.

If it is desired to heat the whole volume of liquid within the tank 2, and to stir the same for rendering the same more homogeneous,the valve 12 is opened and steam is circulated through the coil 5; The suction pipe 8 is closed by means .of the valve 9. .Now

the oil within the hood is'heated as before, and the liquefied oil rises within the hood and through the opening 11 thereof, the. said oil being replaced by viscous oil admitted through the open bottom of the hood. Thus a continuousflow of heated oil is produced from the bottom of the hood, through the opening 11 thereof, and into the tank 3,

where the liquefied oil rises to the top of the body of oil 2. The operation is continued until the whole volume 'has been heated to the desired temperature. By the said circulation within the tank 2 the oil is intermingled and rendered homogeneous.

By means of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6 the oil may be taken from the top part of the tank where the oil is more liquid than at the bottom part, and the hood 4 is lowered by means of the rope 17 as the level of the liquid within the tank 3 sinks.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that only such oil is heated as is to be taken from the tank. The operation is based" on the fact that the heated liquid rises to the surface by reason of the reduced specific gravity thereof. By collecting the rising liquid within the hood 4 it may be continuously taken from the tank. I

p The tank may be thoroughly cleaned by removing the impurities on the tank.

the bottom of I For heating and stirring the whole volume of liquid within the tank a small amount of heat is needed, particularly for the reason that the hood is made from a material of low heat conducting capacity, so that the transmission of heat from the hood to the oil surrounding the same is avoided.

If there is suflicient time, the whole body of oil within the tank may be heated and. stirred by opening the hood at its top, whereby the removing of the oil is facilitated.

If desired, and particularly in very cold weather or when storing oil of particularly high viscosity, it may be desirable to increase the heating effect by intermittently removing the oil from the hood 4, in which case of course the velocity of the flow of the oil from the tank is reduced. In this case the oil within the hood is first heated until the desired degree of viscosity is attained, and thereafter the heated oil is removed. After the hood has been replenished by cold oil the suction pump is again stopped for first heat ing the said new charge of oil.

My improved system may be used also in oil tanks provided on board of ships or on other vehicles.

. I claim:

1. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a tank, a. submergible receptacle within said tank open at its bottom and closed at its top, means for withdrawing liquid from said tank having its intake within said receptacle near the top thereof, and heating means associated with said receptacle.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a tank, a submergible receptacle within said tank open at its bottom and closed at its top and reduced in cross-section from its bottom towards its top, means for withdrawing liquid from said tank having its intake within said receptacle near the top thereof, and heating means within said receptacle in position for heating the liquid to be taken from said receptacle.

3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a tank, a receptacle within said tank which is open at its bottom and provided with an opening at its top, a valve for closing said opening, and heating means associated with said receptacle in position for heating the liquid to be taken fromsaid receptacle.

4. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a tank, a receptacle within said tank which is open at its bottom and provided with an opening at its top, a valve for closing said opening, means for withdrawing liquid from said tank having its intake within said receptacle near the top thereof, and heating means associated with said receptacle in position for heating the liquid to be taken from said receptacle.

5. An apparatus of the class described,

comprising a tank, a receptacle within said tank which is open at its bottom and closed at its top, and means for placing said receptacle withinsaid tank in different positions vertically, .means for withdrawing liquid from said tank having its intake within said receptacle near the top thereof, and

heating means associated with said receptacle in position for heating the liquid to be taken from said receptacle.

6. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a tank, a receptacle'within said tank which is open at its bottom and closed at its top, a pipe for withdrawing liquid from the top partof said receptacle and having a rockable portion from which said receptacle is suspended, and heating means associated with said receptacle and located in position for heating the liquid to be taken 

